Meditation for kids.

Jordyn is a very active child. She likes to move.....a lot.......too much. there is rarely a moment where she will sit still. She bounces off the walls and never really calms herself.

I like to help her calm herself with yoga and meditation. 

Meditation is said to help bring mindfulness to the child. Mindfulness is said to help children focus, make better decision, calm themselves, and deal with their emotions better. 

It might not be easy to convince a child to try sitting still and clearing their mind, but, I meditate daily so it was easy to convince Jordyn to give it a try. She wants to do everything I do, so this was a treat for her. I believe for a better meditation practice, it is helpful if the parent meditates as well. 

We meditate morning and night.

Morning meditation lasts about 5 minutes. 

We simply sit for 5 minutes together before we leave for school and speak positive affirmations into our day. 

Our favorite words to speak to ourselves in the morning are as follows:

I love and approve of myself.

I have amazing potential.

I can do hard things.

I know who I am.

I am of great worth.

I am happy.

I am unique.

I am special.

I am ME.

Our night time meditation usually follows our yoga practice and lasts about 10 minutes. 

We pretty much do the same thing as our morning routine but we switch up our affirmation.

I have done my best for the day.

I have earned my rest for the night.

I have put my love into all my deeds.

I have used kindness in all my thoughts.

I close this day with pure joy and now drift into a sound sleep.

We focus our meditation on building the image of self. I teach her to speak to and of herself in positive ways, raising her up to be a confident strong young lady is my goal so I focus my practice on that, however, your meditation practice will be yours. Meditation is not one size fits all and for it to work of you and your child, you should figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle. 

Below are a few different techniques that you could try with your child. I cannot elaborate on them because we don't personally practice any of these ways. 

Meditation Technique How to Perform
Walking Meditation
This is the simplest technique that you can start out with. Take the child on a walk in nature. Choose something that has a trail and is interesting. Being out in nature amidst the natural surroundings is in itself a very relaxing feeling, but to heighten and enhance that feeling, ask the child to concentrate on his breathing. Ask him to breathe evenly and concentrate on his breathing style. It should go with breathing in and breathing out either 1 or 2 breaths. To channelize the breathing, ask them to swing their arms with an alternate arm and leg movement (right arm-left leg and vice versa). This is a simple exercise which will not only help them relax, but also allow them to enjoy the calming effects of nature.
Deep Breathing
Sit with your child on the floor and maintain an erect position. Instruct the child to breathe in and out using very deep breaths. Tell him to inhale all the way from the stomach and not just the chest region, such that when he takes a breath in, the stomach should expand. Once he inhales, ask him to hold the breath for 2-3 seconds and release. Exhale very slowly and feel the air leave the stomach, then the chest and finally through the nostrils. When the child concentrates on his breathing, it will automatically prevent him from thinking of any other thing and improve concentration as well. Start out with 5 minutes, then slowly increase the time.
Focusing on Objects
This technique can be used on slightly older kids. This is a great method to calm the mind and improve focus. Place an object in front of the child at a distance of 2 feet. Then ask him to sit in front of it and simply observe the object. Let's say that you've kept a toy car for the child to observe. Ask him to make a mental note of the physical attributes of the car - what it looks like, the shape and color etc. This seemingly simple exercise improves concentration and helps one meditate deeply.
Corpse Pose (Shavasana)
This is one of the most popular meditation poses. Ask the kid to lie down and simply 'shut off' each body part starting from the toes and moving up to the head. They have to make do as though each body part is slowly sleeping off and the waves of relaxation are sweeping through the entire body. The breathing has to be kept at an even pace during this time. Get them to do this pose for at least 5-8 minutes.
Guided Meditation
Guided meditation is one of the most popular techniques because of the high level of interaction between the guide and child. Ask the child to lie down and try to relax by taking in some deep breaths. Then give the child mental images to think of. Feed the child with sentences like 'Imagine that you're at the beach...you're wading through the water. The waves are splashing against your leg...You can hear the chirping of the seagulls...You can smell the salt in the air.' It has been found that this technique helps the child relax much better because he does not have to draw inward to concentrate but has to listen and follow. Another variation to this technique is that of using visualization in which a person draws a mental image of his happy place, much like guided meditation and helps himself relax. This technique can be best used by slightly older children.

Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/meditation-techniques-for-kids.html

Most importantly, do not make meditation a punishment. " you threw a tantrum, go meditate and think about it." You don't want to turn it into something negative. You also don't want to force it. 

If you don't know where to start, start with bedtime. When they are already wound down for the day.

Have fun and keep it simple. 

Xo, Jeanice.